Bullying

A recent human rights report showed that 34% of children are concerned about being bullied by children and adolescents of their age , while 38% of children are concerned about violence from an adult. According to the report’s results “Youth Voices” , that has been launched by save The Children Foundation , 43% of children do not included a recording of the views of 1.500 boys and girls aged between 12 and 15, representing all the governorates of the Kingdom in addition to the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camp, Jordanian children constituted 85% of the sample , Syrians 8% Palestinians 7%.

In her turn, the sociologist Dr. Fadia Ibrahim commented on this saying that bullying is a repetitive aggressive behavior in which the child depends on causing harm to another child , physical or verbally , and that the child who is being constantly and continuously bullied would affect his/her mental and physical health. This may lead to an increased feeling of sadness or loneliness, and a change in eating or sleeping style.

She also pointed to some signs that may contribute to the high probability of a child being bullied, such as being different from the rest of his/her peers, for instance, if he / she was more obese or thinner , he / she wears  glasses , or if he / she is new in school , or physically weak, or does not have the ability to defend him / herself.

Role of Family:

Dr.Fadia also brought the attention to the family atmosphere which must be healthy, free from conflict and domination, full of love and love and open dialogue between parents and children, so that the child can express all that he / she feels and is exposed to . It is necessary to provide a safe place for the children to practice physical exercises that could help them to defend themselves.

Save the child:

Executive Director of save the Children Foundation Rania Malki said that the report comes as part of the efforts to save the child in order to identify the children’s point of views on the issues affecting them in the field of education and protection and many others , including their abilities to convey their ideas and express their opinions, in addition to measuring their level of knowledge of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report’s findings are  of worrying results , and it is responsibility to think collectively about how best to respond to our children and their demands .

Financial conditions :

The report show that the deterioration of the financial situation of the children’s families is of importance to them . The finding indicate that 20% of them were unable to join any school activity because of the financial demands, while 30% of them were expelled from their homes by their families , and 87% asserted the importance of implementing more measure by the country to help children who live a poor life .

Furthermore , the report show a difference in attitudes between females and meals in dealing with the problem of bulling . while girls seek help from teacher or d=school staff , boys aged 14-17 resort to  responding directly to bullying without seeking help . The report also pointed that children believe that the authorities should make greater efforts to find new ways to address the problem of bullying , and 76% said action should also be taken to stop bullying via the Internets as well.

The report recommended that further efforts should be made to reduce discrimination against children , especially those with disabilities and those born in a poor environment , and to respect the views of the child, particularly girls within the family and society as a whole , to encourage positive and non-violent participation in the children’s upbringing and discipline , emphasis on include children with special needs in leisure and culture activates.

Source : Amman - addustour Newspaper